


Slow Burn

by Sharingstories2



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Best Friends, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, Male Protagonist, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26617975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharingstories2/pseuds/Sharingstories2
Summary: After the death of Codex Riley and Mac would give anything to find peace but with the meddling of their friends they might find peace in each other.
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Wilt Bozer & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 63





	1. The Cabin

The world seemed to stop, it seemed to be stuck. At least that’s what Bozer felt. Ever since the annihilation of Codex it seemed like he was watching the world through a foggy lens. He knew he should be happy; Mac was back and for once the team could take a well-deserved rest. Yet despite this he felt lost. So much had happened in the three weeks since Codex had died. For one Mac had convinced the US Summit to actually take a reactive approach to the death of the planet. It was a major victory, but it felt hollow. With everything they had gone through it felt like maybe it wasn’t worth it anymore. The death and torture were too large to ever let hope overshadow it. It felt suffocating.

Another development was the fact Desi had quit the Phoenix, she said she couldn’t work with people she didn’t trust. It hurt but Bozer understood. It wasn’t that Mac had actually betrayed her in the end. It was that she had betrayed him. She had been so quick to judge him, to accuse him of being a traitor that it had broken whatever fragile string held together herself and Mac. Bozer was glad, he was happy Mac had found someone, but they were slowly killing each other. It was proof that they didn’t love each other, like Mac had said, when he let her go.

The final development was that both Riley and Mac had disappeared. It was inevitable after everything that they had been through. Still… he wished they would have told him. Instead he was summoned to the war room and questioned on the location of his friends. Bozer told Russ that he didn’t know and thankfully the older man believed him. Matty on the other had asked to see him. She said nothing, instead she placed a familiar object in Bozers hands. Bozer looked down to find Mac’s trusty pocketknife, Bozer looked at the woman confused.  
“Why are you giving me Macs knife?” he asked. Matty merely chucked  
“Because despite not knowing where they are at this very moment I know you know where they are going to be” she said. Bozer raised an eyebrow, challenging her.  
“How would I know that?” the woman rolled her eyes.  
“You know them both better than everyone here… If anyone can find them it’s you” she insisted.  
“You know I’m not Jack right? I don’t know them as well as he does” Bozer didn’t understand. He wanted to, he wanted to ask why Matty was so adamant that out of everyone, he could find them when not even the Phoenix could. The question must have shone through his eyes as his boss sent him a small smile.  
“You may not know them the same way Jack does but you have known MacGyver the longest. I know you might not think it but if Jack isn’t here he trusts you to watch his back” then before Bozer could so much as hesitate the women turned on her heel and left.

The first thing Wilt Bozer did was take the knife to his lab. Whilst he did indeed know where his two best friends most likely where. It wouldn’t do well to show up with something that could be tracked. So Bozer checked the knife and was happy to find that it wasn’t filled with trackers. He then bought some new clothes and took a shower before using a multitude of busses to get to where he wanted to go. At the second bus stop however he walked into a department store and changed clothes again. This time he bought a hat and tried to shield himself from any cameras. He may be paranoid, but he would be damned if he let Russ Taylor and by extent the Phoenix steal away his friends recovering time. As he reached the last bus stop he threw his phone on a bus that was heading in the opposite direction. It was a tad overkill he would admit but it would be worth it.

When he eventually reached his destination, he breathed in a sigh of relief, well that was until a gun was pointed at his temple. He stopped short for a split second before he burst out laughing.  
“Hello to you to Jack” he said. The man holding the gun tensed for a moment, for a moment Bozer thought he was going to get shot. He guessed he deserved it to be honest, he for a split second had thought the same as Desi. That his bestest and oldest friend had betrayed the very thing he once stood for but then the gun dropped and Bozer was pulled into a hug.   
“It’s good to see you man” Jack grunted.  
“Let me guess, Matty filled you in”  
“No… I have other sources. You really think I’d leave you guys without a spy?” he asked. Bozer rolled his eyes. It was typical that Jack knew of things before anyone could tell him. Bozer looked up at the sky, watching the clouds go by.  
“You know… they know you’re here right?” Bozer threw out. Jack nodded  
“Yeah… I figured it out after a couple of days. They kept leaving food and beer behind on the porch dining table.” Jack admitted. Bozer smiled  
“That and they have mirrors and cameras in the trees.”   
“Yes… and that. How did you know they were here anyway?” Jack asked, eyeing Bozer. The younger man shrugged.  
“You may know war Mac, but I know kid Mac. He would always retreat to some place safe. Your old farmhouse was the safest bet. Nobody knows you own it. Besides wherever Mac goes Riley follows.” Jack seemed to drink in what Bozer was saying before he grinned.  
“So when were you guys going to tell me my boy finally realised that he’s in love” Jack asked. Bozer smiled wryly  
“As soon as boy wonder figured it out”  
“He doesn’t know?” Jack exclaimed. Bozer shook his head. He too often wondered how a supposed genius could be so dense.

“Bozer since they’ve been here they’ve shared a bed and Riley had attempted to cook breakfast for him. Hell, she even watched the Hobbit with him. She hates the Hobbit!” Jack yelled, throwing his hands in the air. Bozer watched him, amused, he took often thought the same.  
“You know what Boze, I bet you 100 dollars that by the end of their little escape to the country they’ll be together”   
“I like that action, I bet 100 that it’ll be after.”  
“Deal?”  
“Deal”

Whilst the two friends shook on it Mac and Riley were lying fast asleep in the moonlight.


	2. Breaking in

The first time Riley woke up it was to the sound of screams. At first, she thought she was in some far corner of the world being shot. That was until she realised that she never had a TV in the far corner of the world. Her next reaction was that she was hallucinating because she lived alone. That was until she realised she technically didn’t, she lived with Mac. Then she realised she was still with Mac but someplace different. It took her a moment after all these revelations to actually deal with the screaming.

Quickly she ran into the side bedroom where Mac was seizing on the bed. Sweat ran down his face as he relived his life full of traumas. Slowly she crept forward, refusing to touch him. It’s not that she didn’t want to but anytime she woke him up from a nightmare he was violent. It was a fight or flight mechanism.

As such she crept forward and grabbed a bell off the bedside table, gently she shook it. It was a weird thing to do but sometimes the sound woke Mac up.

Suddenly Mac shot p, his eyes bloodred, searching the room for threats. After a moment, his eyes landed on her as he began to relax.

“Sorry” he muttered. She shrugged  
“It’s alright, what happened?” she asked. He looked down, tears pooling in his eyes. When he said nothing, she perched herself on the end of his bed, trying to avoid the tension spilling into the room.  
“Mac… keeping things bottled up won’t help” Mac didn’t look at her. The routine was a daily occurrence, even since Codex Mac suffered from nightmares. Well, more like night terrors. He tried to keep it a secret but just not sleeping but Riley Davies was not an idiot, she knew he wasn’t okay and would sit with him until he fell asleep. Which was rare. Then he would wake up and not tell her what the dream was about.

Sadly, Riley sighed, she lay down next to him, staring at the ceiling. A moment later Mac spoke.  
“He keeps dying… he keeps telling me I should have saved him” Riley didn’t need to ask who it was. For months after his father's death Mac blamed himself. There was nothing Riley could say to make Mac feel better, so she didn’t, instead, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it in reassurance.  
“Riles?” Mac spoked. Riley hummed  
“Will you stay with me tonight?” the genius asked. Riley once again said nothing and just turned on her side to hug. Mac wouldn’t suffer alone through the night.

The second time she was awoken It was to the sound of a camera. Riley groaned  
“If that ends up anywhere I will send you both into the darkest pits of the internet and won’t let you come out”   
“Come on Riles don’t be like that!”  
“Tell you what get out before you wake him and I might consider not murdering you both in your sleep!” she hissed. Without even opening her eyes she knew they had gone as she could hear the bedroom door shut slightly. Sighing she got up, looking at Mac's sleeping form. Her heart began to melt, how could anyone live through what he had and still believe in the world she would never know. Sighing she got up, it was time to deal with the two peeping toms.

When she got into the living room she found them sitting on the couch, ignoring them she made some coffee. After a moment Bozer got up and followed her into the kitchen with a big grin.  
“So how are my favourite people?” he asked.   
“Pretty damn cosy by the looks of it” Jack added. Riley rolled her eyes  
“We’re fine, thank you Boze” she replied. She then turned to Jack who had shedded his usual military gear for a Metallica band T-shirt and jeans.  
“Don’t start Jack it’s too early and I haven’t had my coffee” Jack held his hands up in Surrender.  
“Why did you two decide now was a good time to break in anyway?” Riley asked. Jack laughed  
“It’s not breaking in if I own the place, Riley. Bozer got here last night, he needed a shower” Jack explained. Riley nodded and walked past him, outside into the crisp morning air. She settled on the hammock outside. The men followed her, Bozer with a soft look on her face  
“How bad were they?” he asked. Riley looked down sadly  
“They’re pretty bad… he refused to sleep for a while. I…” her breath hitched in her throat. Bozer pulled her into a hug, she sniffled slightly. Jack sighed and sat next to her  
“I leave you all alone and you get pulled into a world-ending conspiracy, I’m going to have to put you all on reigns” he quipped. Riley laughed but hunched over slightly to avoid eye contact.   
“Riles? How are you? Like really?” jack asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Riley took in a shuddering breath before answering.

“I.. I’m better than I was. I’m having fewer nightmares but it’s hard. The job isn’t what it used to be, and the world feels like it’s going to hell. I just… I’m getting better but Mac isn’t and it’s so hard watching him slowly drift away.” The effects of her words hung in the air; Jack pulled her in to another hug whilst Bozer frowned. Despite everything Mac had been through he had never quit before. It was something to hear your best friend wasn’t okay. Bozer stood up and held a hand out to Riley.  
“You aren’t alone now Riles, we’re here to help. Then once we get MacGyver better you can jump him” he added, laughing. Riley blushed whilst Jacks turned pale.  
“Absolutely not, my best friend is not sleeping with my daughter hell no!” he yelled. Riley laughed  
“Don’t worry Jack Mac would have to look at me as more than a friend for that to happen.” Then she walked inside. Jacks eyes followed her as he realised that maybe his bet wasn’t all that great after all.


End file.
